Original language: French CoP16 Prop. 65 CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA ____________________ Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties Bangkok (Thailand), 3-14 March 2013 CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSALS FOR AMENDMENT OF APPENDICES I AND II A. Proposal Include the species Adenia firingalavensis in CITES Appendix II, in accordance with Article II, paragraph 2(a) of the Convention and Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP13), Annex 2 a, paragraph A. B. Proponent Madagascar* C. Supporting statement 1. Taxonomy 1.1 Class: Dicotyledones 1.2 Order: Violales 1.3 Family: Passifloraceae 1.4 Genus, species, including author and year: Adenia firingalavensis (Drake ex Jum.) Harms 1.5 Scientific synonyms: Ophiocaulon firingalavense Drake ex Jum. (1903) 1.6 Common names: English: Bottle liana Malagasy: holabe (Sakalava), holaboay, Kajabaka (North of Madagascar), lazamaitso (Tuléar), Lokoranga (Morondava), Olabory, Trangahy. Vietnamese: Ga loi lam mao den 1.7 Code numbers: 2. Overview Adenia firingalavensis is a climbing shrub that often has swollen roots and stem bases. Its leaves are deciduous and usually appear after the plant has flowered. This endemic species to Madagascar is collected from the wild and has become rare. However, it is not yet protected by the CITES Convention. The present document suggests that the species Adenia firingalavensis meets the criteria for inclusion in CITES Appendix II in accordance with Article II, paragraph 2(a) of the Convention and Resolution * The geographical designations employed in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the CITES Secretariat or the United Nations Environment Programme concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The responsibility for the contents of the document rests exclusively with its author. CoP16 Prop. 65 – p. 1 Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP13), Annex 2 a, paragraph A. Regulation of trade in the species is required to ensure that the harvest of specimens from the wild is not reducing the wild population and that the survival of the species is not threatened by continued harvesting or other influences. 3. Species characteristics 3.1 Distribution Adenia firingalavensis has a wide geographic distribution and is found in all the deciduous forests of the west, southwest and south of Madagascar, including Ankarana Special Reserve, Bemaraha National Park, Ankarafantsika National Park, Kirindy and Andranomena Special Reserves, Mikea and Andoharano forests north of Toliara, and Ekodida and Tranomaro forests south of Toliara. The geographic distribution of Adenia firingalavensis is shown in Annex 1. 3.2 Habitat Adenia firingalavensis grows on sandy soil, stony calcareous soil or rocky outcrops in deciduous forests and thickets at an altitude between 50 and 600 m. 3.3 Biological characteristics Adenia firingalavensis flowers from December to April. The fruiting period is between December and February. 3.4 Morphological characteristics Adenia firingalavensis is a large succulent liana with a swollen stem and a conical to subspherical trunk up to 2 m tall and 50 cm in diameter. The outer bark is blue-green, warty and mostly covered with a thick greenish layer of resin. The leaves are leathery, deciduous and simple, with two glands at the apex of the petiole and triangular to filiform stipules; the blade is orbicular to ovate, sometimes entire but mostly three-lobed, with simple tendrils 4-10 cm long in the axils of the leaves. The inflorescence is short, axillary, subsessile and green; the perianth is greenish or whitish, with white lobes. The flowers are green or white. The fruit is an ovoid to ellipsoid capsule 6-7 cm x 3-4 cm with a leathery pericarp, opening with three valves, containing 30-60 seeds. 3.5 Role of the species in its ecosystem The leaves of Adenia plants are eaten by the larvae of butterflies of the genus Acraea (www.biodiversityexplorer.org). The fruits of Adenia firingalavensis are eaten by the small lemur Microcebus ravelobensis (Radespiel, 2006). 4. Status and trends 4.1 Habitat trends Adenia firingalavensis is found in two main types of habitat: thickets and dry forests. The dry thorny thicket of the south and southwest covers an area of approximately 18,355 km² (of which 4.5 % is within protected areas). This type of forest has decreased by 29.7 % since the 1970s (Moat & Smith, 2007). The dry forest of the west covers an area of 31,970 km² (of which 17.1 % is within protected areas). This type of forest has decreased by 39.7 % since the 1970s, which represents a considerable loss (Moat & Smith, 2007). These formations are fragile. Degradation results in more or less open forests and even savannahs with a continuous grass cover. CoP16 Prop. 65 – p. 2 4.2 Population size Adenia firingalavensis has a fairly low density (between 60 and 70 individuals per hectare), which is the reason for the low abundance of the species: 120 to 140 mature individuals, that is, fewer than 250 individuals (Table 1). Table 1: Density and numerical abundance of Adenia firingalavensis Sites Parameters Beroboka Andranomena Total area of study plots (ha) 0.4 0.3 Number of mature individuals in 0.1 ha 6 7 Average specific density (ind./ha) 60 70 Estimated area occupied by the species (ha) 2 2 Estimated total abundance 120 140 4.3 Population structure The absence of juvenile to adult individuals has been observed in the collection areas visited. Growth of this plant is relatively slow. Adenia firingalavensis has a low regeneration potential: 18.2 % in Beroboka and 150 % in Andranomena. 4.4 Population trends In the collection areas, individuals of a commercially exploitable size have become increasingly rare. In addition to massive collection for export, habitat destruction by various anthropogenic activities results in a gradual decline in the number of existing populations (a future decline of 70 % is expected). 4.5 Geographic trends Adenia firingalavensis is a widespread species, with an estimated extent of occurrence of 91,994 km² and an area of occupancy of 99 km². The area actually occupied by the species continues to decrease each year due to fires and the clearing of new land for agriculture. 5. Threats Forests are rapidly disappearing and are becoming fragmented due to charcoal production, agricultural expansion for maize production and bushfires to create new pastures for livestock. In addition, excessive collection of Adenia firingalavensis from the wild poses a real threat to the species and is detrimental to its survival. 6. Utilization and trade 6.1 National utilization The species is a sought after ornamental plant on the international market because of its climbing form and its swollen trunk. Adenia firingalavensis is used in traditional medicine in Madagascar. The bark is used to treat scabies. 6.2 Legal trade The highest number of seedlings was sold in 2004 - 358 seedlings exported (Table 2). Table 2: Evolution in the number of seedlings of Adenia firingalavensis exported per year CoP16 Prop. 65 – p. 3 Years 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Number of seedlings exported 18 358 168 10 0 0 Source: Management Authority (DGEF) and Permanent Secretariat, CITES Madagascar, 2009 6.3 Parts and derivatives in trade Adenia firingalavensis is exported in the form of live plants. 6.4 Illegal trade No illegal trade in Adenia firingalavensis has been recorded to date. The species is rarely traded in the local market. 6.5 Actual or potential trade impacts This species is collected from the wild to supply the international market. Individuals of a commercially exploitable size are becoming increasingly rare in the field. Harvesting for export could thus lead to the absence of natural regeneration and the decline or even disappearance of populations in certain collection areas. In the long term this would pose a serious threat to the survival of the species. As the geographic distribution of the species is fragmented, collectors change harvesting sites once they have become depleted. 7. Legal instruments 7.1 National Since the species is not yet included in the CITES Appendices, its exploitation is not subject to CITES regulations. Collection and export are only regulated by authorization procedures at national level. 7.2 International Inclusion of the species in CITES Appendix II will ensure that all exports are accompanied by a CITES permit that attests to the fact that the specimens were collected in compliance with existing laws and using methods that are not detrimental to the survival of the species. In addition, specimens of species in Appendix II will benefit from Reviews of Significant Trade that will make it possible to monitor and update their biological and ecological data. 8. Species management 8.1 Management measures The number of specimens authorized for export is based on the stock of the species in a horticultural centre. A single collection permit per species per operator is granted for the establishment of parental stock (mother plants). After this, operators must propagate the plants ex situ. Export permits and authorizations are only issued for artificially propagated specimens. 8.2 Population monitoring Adenia firingalavensis was the subject of a Review of Significant Trade in relation with its possible inclusion in CITES Appendix II in 2010. According to the IUCN criteria, its conservation status is Vulnerable VU B2b (i,ii,iii), with the addition of sub-criterion C2(b), that is, a continuing decline and extreme fluctuations in the number of mature individuals. CoP16 Prop. 65 – p. 4 8.3 Control measures 8.3.1 International The species is not yet included in the CITES Appendices. Inclusion of the species in Appendix II will ensure that all exports are accompanied by a CITES permit that attests to the fact that the specimens were collected in compliance with existing laws and using methods that are not detrimental to the survival of the species.